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Job Title:   National Consultant – STAR Uganda: Trainer of BSOs in Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction

Organisation: International Trade Centre (ITC)

Duty Station:  Kampala, Uganda

Vacancy No: 234076

About US:

The International Trade Centre (ITC) a multilateral agency with a joint mandate with the World Trade Organization and the United Nations through the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. We provide country-and client-specific tailored support through unique advisory services, capacity building, training and mentoring, free tools and business data, and trade-specific publications. We improve the availability and use of trade intelligence; strengthen trade support institutions; enhance policies for the benefit of exporting enterprises; build the export capacity of enterprises to respond to market opportunities; and mainstream inclusiveness.

Work Location: Home-Based in Uganda, with possibility of local travel

Expected duration: 01.06.2024 – 15.07.2024

Background:  ITC is implementing the Strengthening Agribusiness Resilience and Competitiveness (STAR) project, funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) from 2022 – 2026. The project aims to improve the livelihoods of rural communities in 10 districts across Northern and North-Eastern Uganda with a focus on increasing the competitiveness and natural disaster resilience of SMEs and farming households. The project targets 10,000 agricultural/agro-pastoral households and 60 SMEs, in the cassava, shea and oilseed value chains. The project also works with Business Support Organizations (BSOs) to help capacitate them to execute specific functions, in line with their mandates, to better support SMEs and producer organizations to increase their resilience to natural disasters.  ITC implements STAR in collaboration with World Vision Uganda and coordinates closely with relevant government bodies (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Ministry of Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Ministry of Water and Environment), development partners and the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) committees in the 10 district local governments.

The following outputs are expected upon implementation of the project:  Output 1: Capacity of producers and SMEs to become more competitive and resilient to natural disaster risks increase; through awareness raising, capacity building measures, coaching, connection with service providers and to grant schemes. Output 2: Enhanced structures of community-based disaster risk management. Output 3: Improved service offering of BSOs and other service providers to build SMEs’ natural disaster risk resilience and competitiveness. Output 4: Strengthened national strategies and policies to improve natural disaster risk resilience and competitiveness of the target agricultural value chain.  Uganda falls among the most vulnerable countries to climate change (IPCC, 2014). Climate Change affects Uganda’s agriculture sector, which employs about 70 percent of the population and contributes about 24 percent of the country’s GDP (UBOS, 2023).   Climate change, in the form of increased temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and increased intensity and frequency of extreme weather events like floods and drought, is expected to exacerbate food security challenges by impacting food crop production, disrupting supply chains, and raising food prices. This means adaptation and continual learning become essential.   ITC promotes and mainstreams green technology adoption to ensure environmental sustainability in its work with SMEs. Therefore, the STAR project seeks to integrate Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk reduction (DRR) in the service offering of BSOs to be achieved through capacity building of BSOs.   To build conceptual clarity on CCA and DRR and to provide expertise and guidance to integrate DRR and CCA in BSO service offering, the STAR project is looking to engage a trainer/facilitator to conduct training and coaching on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction for BSOs.  The purpose of the assignment is to provide training on the basics of CCA and DRR and supporting the integration of CCA and DRR in the current BSO service offering for SMEs. Specifically, the assignment will aim at the following:  To enhance capacity of BSOs in CCA and DRR. To develop CCA and DRR actions and procedures to better support SMEs in CCA and DRR management. To integrate CCA and DRR in existing BSO strategies, plans, processes, and mechanisms.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

The tasks of the Consultant/firm will be the following:  Assess the current mandate, knowledge, skills, and abilities of BSOs in CCA and DRR in order to develop an effective training program. Develop training materials and course content and referring to ITC tools. These will be reviewed and finalized in coordination with ITC before executing the assignment. Advise BSOs on climate change, climate risk assessment, CCA and DRR measures for clients or members depending on their location, sectors, or level of maturity. Assist in identifying location specific needs for CCA and DRR, considering agro-ecological settings. Review BSO plans and strategies from CCA and DRR lens, identify gaps, and provide expert practical guidance on integration of CCA and DRR into these plans and strategies. The guidance on integration should align with identified CCA and DRR actions. Support BSOs to develop or improve their strategy to provide services to businesses to support their climate-related response. Support BSOs connect with service providers or other actors if climate-related services cannot be addressed within their current mandate or strategy to support their SME clients. Provide data and information as well as technical contributions to the understanding of CCA and DRR concepts and the development of action plans – as a key aspect of wider CCA and DRR planning and management. Coaching of BSOs to apply their learning and know-how on CCA and DRR and extend this learning to support SMEs and producer organizations.  Copyright Clause: The Consultant has to ensure that s/he has obtained the necessary permissions with regard to intellectual property rights required to perform his/her services under this consultancy contract and for the subsequent dissemination by ITC in any form. Documentary proof is to be submitted to ITC. Should any license fee be due for the use of copyrighted materials of third parties, the Consultant shall request prior written permission from ITC. S/he has further to ensure to obtain accreditation to event(s), if required.  ITC champions workforce diversity, inclusion, gender equality and gender parity and considers all qualified persons – of all genders – equally, including those with disabilities, without discrimination or prejudice of any kind.

Result of Service

• A training manual (includes modules, schedule, training approach, key learnings), no later than 15 July 2024.
• A three-day CCA and DRR training session to participants and provide a training report, no later than 15 July 2024.
• Review BSO plans and strategies through coaching and provide recommendations on how to integrate CCA and DRR and submit a coaching report, no later than 15 July 2024.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Master’s degree in climate change, environment, disaster risk reduction and management, natural resource management or any other relevant field. PhD in relevant field will be an advantage.
• Extensive relevant experience may be accepted in lieu of the university degree.
• At least 5 years of experience in natural hazards, disasters or vulnerability assessments, climate change resilience, and disaster risk management is required.
• Minimum 10 years of experience working in Uganda’s development sector, including CCA and DRR, policy formulation, at national or sub-national level.
• Experience in delivering training in CCA and DRR to BSOs, private sector, government agencies, local governments, or NGOs.
• Practical experience and a good conceptual understanding of DRR and CCA, including knowledge and understanding of climate issues and challenges especially in Northern and North-Eastern Uganda.
• Experience in training material development and conducting similar trainings in an interactive mode.
• Execution of similar assignments would be considered as an added advantage.
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and experience working in a team.
• Professional attitude in related field of work and ability to work in multi-cultural environments.
• Excellent command in designing and executing trainings, workshops, and seminars.
• Ability to communicate proactively with stakeholders, including government authorities, BSOs, NGOs and private sector partners.
• Languages: Advanced English is required.

How to Apply:

All qualified candidates who wish to join the International Trade Centre should apply online at the link below.

Click Here

Deadline: 13^th May 2024

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